Method of treating wooden stringed instruments



Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES W. LINDEEN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA METHOD OF TREATING WOODEN STRINGED INSTRUMENTS No Drawing.

The present invention relates to a process or method for mellowing string instruments, Slifll as violins, mandolins, guitars and the li 'e.

Q) An object of the present invention is to impart in a relatively short time, particularly by constant use, to new and relatively little used string and other wood instruments which have a stiff or hard quality of tone or which are subject to uneven loudness on the different strings, which latter condition is rarely improved by long and continued use, an even volume and mellowness of tone of good quality as can be expected only by perfeet construction of the instrument, and by quality and age of wood.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method or process involving the use of ingredients which may be readily,

easily and economically obtained, and a process which involves certain steps which may be easily practiced Without the exercise of any great degree of skill.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be brought out in and will be understood from the following detailed description of the present preferred manner of practicing the invention.

According to the present invention, a stringed instrument to be treated is received in its finished state from the manufacturer or dealer, and the accessories or adjusts of the instrument are first removed, such as the strings, the tail piece and preferably th finger board.

The remaining or body portion of the instrument is then first thoroughly dried, and this may be accomplished by placing the instrument in a relatively warm room.

The next step in the method or process is to apply chemically pure Vaseline to the wood of the instrument, and the preferred manner of such application of the pure Vaseline is to apply a coating of the Vaseline to the wood of the instrument each successive day throughout a period of ten or twelve days, each coating being preferably rubbed in with the fingers so as to cause the wood to become thoroughly impregnated with the Vaseline.

The interior of the instrument is not al Application filed July 10, 1930. Serial No. 467,139.

tered or treated as the Vaseline does not completely penetrate the wood and is thus held in the wood by the interior coating or treatment which is given the instrument by the instrument maker.

After the Vaseline has been thoroughly worked into the wood from the outer side thereof so as to fill up the pores of the wood to the desired extent, the exterior surface of the wood body of the instrument is then 99 carefully wiped off to remove all the surplus Vaseline and to provide a relatively smooth clean surface to the exterior of the instrument.

The next step in the method or process is to apply shellac over the impregnated surface of the instrument, and the shellac is preferably put on in a number of separate relatively thin coatings, preferably four coatings, and each coating of shellac is allowed to dry before the application of the next succeeding coating, and the last two coatings of the shellac are preferably lightly rubbed down to insure a smooth surface to the exterior of W the instrument for receiving the subsequent finishing coating of oil and varnish.

Considerable care must be exercised in rubbing down the shellac coatings so that the entire exterior surface, including the back, sides and top of the instrument, are even and smooth.

Finally, the shellacked and rubbed down exterior surface of the instrument body is treated with several coatings of oil varnish, W the shellac forming a suitable base upon which the oil varnish may be applied and also serving to entrap and hold in the pores of the wood the Vaseline which has been rubbed and absorbed therein. It will be un-, derstood that the oil varnish, if applied directly upon the exterior surface of the vaseline treated wood, would not have a suitable base and therefore would not adhere properly to the body of the instrument and in time the Vaseline would inter-mix with the varnish and the latter not only would be removed and maintained in a relatively soft state, but the instrument would become discolored and a hard, dry highly polished surface could not be provided. The Vaseline when absorbed IOU by the wood softens the latter and produces a relatively oily exterior surface to the wood. The shellac also adds a tone quality to the wood as well as providing an even and smooth finish to the instrument.

' The Vaseline is thus entrapped in the wood of the instrument and is maintained by the shellac and the oil varnish against drying out or evaporation so that the wood body of the instrument is maintained in the desired 'relatively soft state which is desirable for producing a mellow tone.

It is of course understood that the vaseline which is rubbed into .theexterior s11r- 15 face of the instrument body may be used in various proportions andthe-period oftime of treatment maybe altered to suit conditions of the wood and also to produce the desired effect. The vaseline takes out the stiffness and hardness of the woodso as to render'the wood soft and capable of'producing the .tones of quality and volume which are desired.

In applying the coatings of shellec, the same may be thinned sufficiently with the V 1 desired proportion of alcohol, andwhenthe steps of the methodare carried out properly the wood body of the instrument is maintained against shrinking. bending or cracking occasioned by internal strain. and consequently'provide an instrument which is immune to atmospheric conditions which normally affect the wood. Good commercially obtained oil varnish which is soft and plastie in body texture when applied as the finish coat serves as a preserver and binderof the Vaseline and the shellac.

It will be understood that changes maybe made in the method of treating violins, and in the steps of the process of'treating the same, and that various changesmay be made in the construction. arrangement and-combination of parts of the apparatus without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish it'to be understood as limiting myself'to the precise method herein described in carrying out my invention in practice except as herein claimed.

I What is claimed is That method of mellowing stringed instruments, which consists in applying with a rubbing action at consecutively spaced intervals of time quantities of chemically pure vaseline into the surface of the wood body of the instrument, applyingseparate relatively'thin coatings of shellac over the vaseline treated surface, rubbing down the shellac to provide a smooth and even exterior surface to the instrument, and finally applying several independent coatings of oil varnish over the smoothed and shellacked surface.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature.

' CHARLES W. LI'NDEEN. 

